Railway spike



Nov. 22, 1938. HOJNQWSK, 2,137,688

, RAILWAY SPIKE Filed July 25, 1938 I cibob fijnowaiezl.

Patented Nov. 22, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY SPIKE JakobHojnowski, Nekoosa, Wis. Application July 25, 1938, Serial No. 221,247 3Claims. (01. 85-23) This invention relates to certain new and usefuldrawing and particularly to Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, improvements inrailway spikes. the reference character In designates a wooden Theprimary object of the invention is to prorailroad tie with a rail havinga base flange I! Vide a railway spike for anchoring the rail to asupported thereon and anchored in position by Wooden tie in which alocking key is associated means of a spike that has its shank l2 drivenwith the spike and tie for holding the spike against into the wooden tieand having an offset flanged movement relative to the tie with theflanged head head l3 overlying and engaging the base flange of the spikein engagement with the base flange ll of the rail. of a rail for holdingthe latter on the tie. The shank [2 of the spike as shown in Figures 2 Afurther object of the invention is to provide and 4 has a groove l4formed therein at a rear 10 a railway spike of the foregoing characterthat longitudinal corner edge thereof from a point has a locking key forholding the same anchored substantially midway the ends of the shank toa tie slidably and interlockingly engaged therethrough the head [3,thereof, the side wall l5 of with, the locking key having a laterallyexthe groove M as shown in Figure 4 being disposed tended blade thatprojects laterally of the spike at an acute angle to the base wall ofthe groove. 1

and into the wooden tie to assume an arcuate posi- An arcuate groove l6extends substantially transtion substantially transversely of thelongitudinal versely of theshank l2 at the rear side thereof axis of thespike to prevent accidental removal with one end of the arcuate groovecommunicatof the spike from the tie. ing with the lower end of thelongitudinal groove With the above and other objects in View that 14. Asshown in Figure l the opposite or upper 20 I will become apparent as thenature of the invenand lower walls I! of the groove I6 converge tion isbetter understood, the same consists in toward, the rear wall of theshank to form a lockthe novel form, combination and arrangement of inggroove.

parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in A key is slidably andinterlockingly received in the accompanying drawing and claimed. thegrooves of the shank for cooperation with 25 In the the tie H) to lockthe spike against accidental dis- Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofa spike placement, the key in its original form being constructed inaccordance with the present inshown in Figure 5 and designated by therefervention and associated with a rail and tie that once character [8,the key being triangular in are fragmentarily illustrated in section,the lockcross section as shown in Figure 4 to provide a 30 ing keyassociated with the spike and tie also flat edge wall l9 with taperingsides 20 merging being shown in section; into a straight edge 2 I. Theinner end of the key Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the spike haan offset head 22 and a pointed end 23. A Q1161 loeking y With the railfragmentarily i liissharpened blade extension 24 projects frornthetrated in elevation and the supporting tie in secstraight edge 2| of thekey adjacent the pointed 35 tion, the locking key extending through agroove end 23 thereof. for a portion of its length, at one side edge ofthe To anchor the rail to the tie It], the spike is p k first driveninto the tie with the flanged head l3 Figure 3 is a view similar toFigure 2 with the of the spike engaged with the base flange H of groovein the spike for the sliding reception of th il, Th locking key I8 isthen positioned 40 the locking key disposed at an angle to the longiinthe upper end of the groove M with the flat t'lldinal axis of the p sidewall IQ of the locking key engaged with the Figure 4 is a detailsectional view taken on line bottom wall of the groove I4 while one ofthe 34 of Figure 2, showing the locking key to be of i li ed id 20 ofthe locking key engages the triangular formation in cross section with ablade inclined side Wall 13 of the groove 14. The key 45 p n of the k yp j n t r lly of the is then driven downwardly into the tie l0 throughSp the slot [4 in the shank l2, the pointed end 23 Figure 5 is aperspective w of h k ng key; of the key l8 being directed into theadjacent end Figureii is aperspective view of another form of of thearcuate groove [6 in the shank with the Spike having a modified o o COSS groove for key l8 ultimately assuming the position shown 50 h p a ef the lower n of h lo k k y; in Figure 1 wherein the end 23 assumes anupand wardly arched position shown at 2311 in Figure 2.

Figure '7 is a perspective View of another form of The blade extension24 on the key projects laterspike having a locking key associatedtherewith. ally of the shank l2 of the spike and bites into Referringmore in detail to the accompanying the tie in to revent upward movementof the 55 key and spike relative to the tie. The inclined or taperingsides of the blade 24 cooperate with the inclined sides ll of thearcuate groove H3 in the shank of the spike to prevent lateraldisplacement of the key relative to the shank and to form aninterlocking connection between the key and shank as shown in Figure 1.The offset head 22 of the key I8 is disposed at the outer side of thespike head to facilitate gripping engagement thereof for the forcefulremoval of the key, should it be desired to remove the spike from thetie.

In the form of invention shown in Figure 3, the groove [4a at the rearside of the shank 12 for the sliding reception of the key I8 is formedat an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shank to increase lockingengagement between the key and shank.

In the form of invention shown in Figure 6, the shank l2a of the spikehas a substantially transversely extending arcuate groove 1 6a. at therear side thereof .and the top and bottom walls of the groove Ilia areslotted or serrated as at 25 with the serrations in each wall driveninto contact with each other from one side of the shank and at one endof the groove to provide a more definite entrance into the groove forthe end of a locking key.

The shank |2b of the spike shown in Figure '7 has a reduced lower endI20 forming opposite pointed shoulders 26 that cooperate with thepointed end 21 of the shank to facilitate the driving of the spike intoa tie, the shank l2b being provided with a rear corner edge groove Nband an arcuate cross groove |6b for the reception of the key l8 as shownin Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believedthat the construction and use thereof will at once be understood, andwhile there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments ofthe invention, it is never theless to be understood that minor changesmay be made therein ,withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

I claim:-

1. In a railroad spike of the character described, a spike having ashank and an offset head, the shank of the spike having a groove in therear wall thereof extending downwardly through the head and merging intoan arcuate groove extending across the shank at a point intermediate theupper and lower ends of the shank, in combination with a key for lockingthe spike in a wooden tie comprising a shank of the same cross-sectionalshape as said groove with the free end of the key projecting through thearcuate groove at the other side of the spike, and a laterally extendingblade carried by the key shank adapted to be moved into arcuateformation opposite the arcuate groove and projecting laterally of thespike for biting engagement in the tie.

2. In a railroad spike of the character described, a spike having ashank and an offset head, the shank of the spike having a groove in therear wall thereof extending downwardly through the head and merging intoan arcuate groove extending across the shank at a point intermediate theupper and lower ends of the shank, in combination with a key for lockingthe spike in a wooden tie comprising a shank of the same cross-sectionalshape as said groove with the free end of the key projecting through thearcuate groove at the other side of the shank, and a laterally extendingblade carried by the key shank aadpted to be moved into arcuateformation opposite the arcuate groove and projecting laterally of thespike for biting engagement in the tie, the arcuate groove having a flatbottom wall and converging side walls to form an interlocking connectionwith the key.

3. In a railroad spike of the character described, a spike having ashank and an offset head, the shank of the spikehaving a groove in therear wall thereof extending downwardly through the head and merging intoan arcuate groove extending across the shank at a point intermediate theupper and lower ends of the shank, in combination with a key for lockingthe spike in a wooden tie comprising a shank of the same cross-sectionalshape as said groove with the free end of the key projecting through thearcuate groove at the other side of the shank, the top and bottom wallsof the arcuate groove being serrated with the serrations in each wallmoved into engagement in one direction transversely of the shank todefine an entrance opening for the entering end of the key.

JAKOB HOJNOWSKI.

